Canadian Politics: The Political System of Canada

The Canadian political system is First Past the Post where there are a certain number of electoral districts and each of those has a representative in parliament. In the case of Canada there are 308 electoral districts with each one having a Representative (British Columbia has 36, Alberta has 28, Saskatchewan has 14, Manitoba also has 14, Ontario has 106, Quebec has 75, Newfoundland and Labrador has 7, Nova Scotia has 11, New Brunswick has 10 and Prince Edward Island has 4. Yukon, Nunavut and the Northwest Territories each have one).

As well as the House of Commons Canada also has an upper house called the Senate, the members of the Senate are appointed by the Governor General of Canada on the recommendation of the Prime Minister (the current one is Steven Harper of the Conservative Party of Canada). The Senate currently has 105 members drawn from each of the provinces and territories, with British Columbia having 5, Alberta 6, Saskatchewan 6, Manitoba 3, Ontario 20, Quebec 21, Newfoundland and Labrador 6, Nova Scotia 8, New Brunswick 10 and Prince Edward Island 3. Yukon, Nunavut and the Northwest Territories each have one Senator.

 

 

Political Parties with Federal Representation in Canada

Conservative Party of Canada:

Founded: 2003

Leader: Stephen Harper (2004 to present, Prime Minister of Canada 2006 to present)

Number of Seats in the Senate: 57

Number of Seats in the House of Commons: 161

New Democratic Party:

Founded: 1961

Leader: Thomas Mulcair (2012 to present, Leader of the Opposition 2012 to Present)

Number of Seats in the Senate: 0

Number of Seats in the House of Commons: 99

Liberal Party of Canada:

Founded: 1867

Leader: Justin Trudeau (2013 to Present)

Number of Seats in the Senate: 32

Number of Seats in the House of Commons: 36 

Bloc Québécois:

Founded: 1991

Leader: Mario Beaulieu (June 25, 2014 to present)

Number of Seats in the Senate: 0

Number of Seats in the House of Commons: 3

Green Party of Canada:

Founded: 1983

Leader: Elizabeth May (2006 to Present)

Number of Seats in the Senate: 0

Number of Seats in the House of Commons: 2